A child who died in a Mason City house fire on Saturday night has been identified. Mason City fire officials say three-year-old Vicente Gonzalez died after he was found in the bedroom of the fire-damaged home at 118 13th Northeast. Fire officials say the fire broke out in the living room of the house at about 10:55 PM, but heavy damage to the home prevented investigators from pinpointing the exact cause of the fire. The fire has been ruled as accidental. Firefighters did not find any working smoke detectors in the home, as they say the family recently moved into the house.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:53 a.m. CST

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — The board that governs Iowa’s public universities is letting Iowa State University President Steven Leath keep his job after he admitted mistakes in using university airplanes. Iowa Board of Regents President Bruce Rastetter is commending Leath for taking responsibility for problems identified in an audit of his use of planes. Rastetter says that he’s disappointed in the actions that required the audit and that “we can and must do better.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state panel that meets periodically has lowered Iowa’s revenue projection for the current budget year by roughly $96 million. The three-member group known as the Revenue Estimating Conference said Monday that Iowa is expected to take in about $7.21 billion during the budget year that began in July. That’s down from a projection in October of $7.31 billion.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to the shipping of guns to Lebanon. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says 31-year-old Bassem Afif Herz of Cedar Rapids was given the punishment Monday in federal court in Cedar Rapids. He pleaded guilty in March to conspiring to deal in firearms without a license and illegally shipping guns.

TAMA, Iowa (AP) — A former eastern Iowa police chief faces federal charges for allegedly stealing and selling guns from his department. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Jeffrey Filloon is also accused of pocketing money from the sale of unclaimed vehicles the police department had impounded. A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Filloon with two counts each of making false statements and selling a stolen firearm.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state panel has lowered Iowa’s revenue projections for the current budget year by roughly $96 million. The three-member group known as the Revenue Estimating Conference said Monday that Iowa will take in about $7.21 billion during the budget year that began in July. That’s down from a $7.31 billion projection in October.

Iowa Department of Management Director David Roederer said the state’s revenue is growing but not at the expected rate. He pointed to a range of issues but not one key reason. Roederer said the state will need to plug in the deficit when the GOP-controlled Legislature convenes in January.

Ben Hammes, Gov. Terry Branstad’s spokesman, declined to provide details on how that would be achieved. Hammes emphasized that K-12 school funding would not be cut.

xtremely cold weather is moving into Iowa over the next day or so and forecasters say it’ll stick around at least through the weekend. Auto mechanic Jeff Johnson, in Omaha/Council Bluffs, says now is the time to go through the checklist to make sure your vehicle is ready for the winter ahead. “Look at all your tires and make sure they’re aired up to manufacturer’s specifications,” Johnson says. “Check your wiper blades, check your coolant, make sure all your headlights and brake lights are ready to go. Also, make sure all your belts and hoses are all going to be prepared for any weather condition.”

He adds, you won’t get far if you don’t have good tires, and if you need snow tires, get them on, pronto. “Make sure your tires are properly aired up and that they have a decent amount of tread,” he says. “Winter tires are very important if your vehicle isn’t the safest, maybe a rear-wheel drive and even some front-wheel drive vehicles, it’s a great thing to add to your vehicle.” For some Iowans, the deep freeze will mean their cars won’t start as the frigid weather was too much for the old battery. Johnson says have your battery tested to make sure it has enough cold cranking amps to keep your car starting, even when the wind chill is far below zero.

(Radio Iowa)